Researcher biography
Dr Emma Sweeney is a senior research fellow at The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research. Emma completed their PhD at the Queensland University of Technology, focusing on the role and significance of the Ureaplasma species in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, before taking up a research position at The University of Queensland. Dr Sweeney’s current research focuses on molecular diagnosis and characterisation of pathogens of public health significance, including microorganisms which are increasingly resistant to mainstay antimicrobials.
Dr Sweeney has secured competitive research funding as a chief investigator, from a variety of sources including Pathology Queensland, The Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine, The Children’s Hospital Foundation. Dr Sweeney is also an associate investigator on an Australian Research Council ITRP hub to combat antimicrobial resistance. Recently, Dr Sweeney was awarded two prestigious research Fellowships: a Researcher Exchange and Development with Industry (REDI) fellowship with Industry partner SpeeDx, and a Children’s Hospital Foundation Mid-Career Fellowship. Dr Sweeney has a passion for working with Industry. Through ongoing industry collaborations, Dr Sweeney was awarded the 2023 University of Queensland Early and Mid-Career Researcher Industry Engagement award and the 2023 University of Queensland Translational Research Excellence Award.